1d12-food-fights

1d12 Food Fights

Roleplaying Tips Newsletter #0858

RPT GM Roger Barr offered me this idea nugget:

So, what exotic diets might people eat in different lands?

Dining on cats is normal for the half-orcs and goblins in the slums, but the royals worship a goddess with feline characteristics so they revere the animals.

How can food inspire adventure?

Roger gives a great example of conflict created by calorie counts.

Another thought is, what if special properties cultures assign to certain foods are true?

For example, what if ground up dire stegosaurus horns really did give you a strength bonus? Perhaps a cunning wizard discovers a magical property in halfling hair. Or it turns out drinking vampire blood gives you special immunities for a few hours. Maybe dark elf tea lets you see in the dark but it becomes addictive and duration of darkvision declines each dose.

Another idea is, what if 1% of the population experiences a special reaction? Most people get the regular effects, but one in a hundred have a different reaction? Some random fun possibilities there.

In fact, why not create some random fun? Just for you, here’s a d12 table. I’ll leave duration of effect up to you. I hope your players eat this up!

Here’s the pattern:

Source + Rumoured Benefit + 1% Special Reaction

d12 Sources

  1. A character class
  2. A race or species
  3. A type of animal or beast
  4. A type of undead
  5. A type of monster
  6. An exotic fungus
  7. A special plant in a remote area
  8. A unique tree in a dangerous location
  9. A certain body of water
  10. An arcane or divine ritual
  11. Someone afflicted with a certain disease
  12. A certain poison

d12 Rumoured Benefits

  1. +1 Ability Boost
  2. Improvement of a Sense (sight, hearing, etc.)
  3. Effects similar to a low-level spell
  4. Telepathy within 1 foot
  5. Weird body odour
  6. Loss of impulse control
  7. Craves something unwise
  8. Body changes, such as hair or nail growth
  9. Euphoria and feelings of invulnerability
  10. Experiences prophetic visions
  11. Wild mood swings from violence to tranquility
  12. Roll twice

d12 1% Special Reactions

  1. Double Ability Boost
  2. Sudden Rage
  3. Transforms into a beast
  4. Vulnerability to the Source
  5. Becomes addicted to the substance
  6. Skin changes into shell, scales, or feathers
  7. Can cast a low-level spell at will
  8. Channels a demon or angel
  9. Vegetation withers nearby
  10. Suffers a new emotional or mental flaw
  11. Normal effect becomes permanent
  12. Roll again and the Special Effect becomes permanent

Example: Rolls of 4, 7, and 7.

Gnawing on BBQ skeleton ribs makes people want to hit the local gnome casino and gamble until broke. And 1 in 100 people burp up small painful flames for 10 minutes. Note the spell radius!

Holy heartburn Batman.